Microdischarge devices, also known as microplasma or microcavity discharge devices, have been developed as a substitute for other light producing devices. Microdischarge devices are disclosed in U.S. patents that are incorporated by reference herein: U.S. Pat. No. 6,563,257, entitled Multilayer Ceramic Microdischarge Device; U.S. Pat. No. 6,541,915, entitled High Pressure Arc Lamp Assisted Start Up Device and Method; U.S. Pat. No. 6,194,833, entitled Microdischarge Lamp and Array; U.S. Pat. No. 6,139,384, entitled Microdischarge Lamp Formation Process; and U.S. Pat. No. 6,016,027, entitled Microdischarge Lamp.
In a recent application, we have disclosed phase-locked arrays of microdischarges devices, and microdischarge devices that are stimulated by AC, RF or pulsed excitation. The application is entitled Phase Locked Microdischarge Array and AC, RF or Pulse Excited Microdischarge, was filed on Apr. 22, 2004, and has been accorded Ser. No. 10/829,666. This application is also incorporated by reference herein.
Carbon nanotubes are field emission nanostructures that have remarkable physical and electronic properties. The utility of carbon nanotubes as a field emitter has prompted the development of new methods for the controlled growth of nanotubes and the introduction of vacuum electronic devices, including displays and sensors. Electronic applications of carbon nanotubes have typically relied solely on field emission as the current source, which requires electrode voltages in the range of 150V up to 1 kV, and places constraints on the length and diameter of carbon nanotubes as well as the surface number density of carbon nanotubes in an array. See, e.g., Choi, et al., “Electrophoresis Deposition of Carbon Nanotubes for Triode-Type Field Emission Display,” Appl. Phys. Lett., 78, pp. 1547–49 (2001); Modi et al., “Miniaturized Gas Ionization Sensors Using Carbon Nanotubes,” Nature, 424, pp. 171–74 (2003).
Other nanostructures have also been found to readily produce field emissions. Examples include silicon carbide nanowires, zinc oxide nanowires, molybdenum and molybdenum oxide nanowires, organic semiconductor nanowires, and tungsten nanowires. See, e.g., Tang and Bando, “Effect of BN Coatings on Oxidation Resistance and Field Emisssion of SiC Nanowires”, Appl. Phys. Lett, Vol. 83, No. 4 (28 Jul. 2003); Lee et al., “Field Emission From Well-Aligned Zinc Oxide Nanowires Grown at Low Temperature”, Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 81, No. 19 (4 Nov. 2002); Zhou et al., “Large-Area Nanowire Arrays of Molybdenum and Molybdenum Oxides: Synthesis and Field Emission Properties,” Adv. Mater., Vol. 15, No. 21 (4 Nov. 2003); Chiu et al., “Organic Semiconductor Nanowires for Field Emission”, Adv. Mater., Vol. 15, No. 16, (15 Aug. 2003); Min and Ahn, “Tungsten Nanowires and Their Field Electron Emission Properties,” Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 81, No. 4 (22 Jul. 2002); and Wu et al., “Needle-Shaped Silicon Carbide Nanowires: Synthesis and Field Electron Emission Properties,” Appl. Phys. Lett., Vol. 80, No. 20 (20 May 2002).